I watched 'Faraon' a few nights ago on YouTube (official upload) and it was absolutely fantastic, probably the best film ever made set in ancient Egypt. Since Second Run have released other films by its director Jerzy Kawalerowicz, this would be a great choice.

The Role was pretty good! I was skeptical at first, but the film had me convinced by the halfway mark. Probably more AE territory that Second Run though (haven't seen those earlier ones).

I wonder if SR have any plans for or interest in Turkish cinema (I don't think there's any in the collection yet)? Some choice Güney or Erksan would be a nice fit - or more recently, the films of Zeki Demirkubuz...

+1 Yeelen. One of my favorite African films, along with the equally impressive Yaaba.

I've just spotted this. Yeelen was released by Artificial Eye in UK cinemas in 1988. As I remember, they advertised it as The Light, and it had had a London Film Festival showing under the title Brightness. AE didn't release the film on VHS, let alone DVD, and I've no idea if they still have the rights. It would have BBFC issues though - it was cut for the cinema by 1:16, for reasons of animal cruelty, a chicken being sacrificed by being burned alive. If I remember rightly, the one TV showing on the BBC cut this too.

Yaaba had a UK cinema release from Recorded Releasing, who are now defunct, but also hasn't had a VHS or DVD release.

As for me, I'd like to see UK DVDs (I realise Second Run don't do Blu-rays as yet) of Margarethe von Trotta's Die bleierne Zeit (released as The German Sisters in UK cinemas, Marianne and Juliane in US cinemas - shown on Channel 4 in the 80s but never released on UK VHS or DVD), The Lacemaker (if Arrow don't still have the rights - they released it on VHS), and a brace of Bertrand Taverniers, Une semaine de vacances (not released on UK VHS) and Sunday in the Country (the latter being another Artificial Eye VHS but not DVD). I'm shamelessly listing films which had considerable personal significance to me during my 80s cinemagoing which don't have UK DVD/Blu-ray releases.

Also, I mentioned it in the Polish cinema thread so I'll do so again here - I wonder if Second Run would be interested in the more recent Polish film Rose (Róża), which so far has not had a UK release?

I've just spotted this. Yeelen was released by Artificial Eye in UK cinemas in 1988. As I remember, they advertised it as The Light, and it had had a London Film Festival showing under the title Brightness.

It was definitely called Yeelen on its UK theatrical release. The English translation may have featured as a subtitle, but Yeelen was the primary title. I booked it a couple of times in rep in the early 1990s and never called it anything else.

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Also, I mentioned it in the Polish cinema thread so I'll do so again here - I wonder if Second Run would be interested in the more recent Polish film Rose (Róża), which so far has not had a UK release?

It's available on both DVD and Blu-ray in Poland with English subtitles. Although I agree that Wojciech Smarzowski's work is ridiculously neglected in the UK - for my money, he's easily one of the strongest directors to emerge from Poland in the post-Communist period, but none of his five films has crossed over into any kind of mainstream distribution (although I think a couple played the independent Polish circuit that does the rounds of Cineworld cinemas).

That said, I believe Second Run does have a post-Communist Polish film on their upcoming slate...

My English isn't good enough to accurately convey how much I disliked Smarzowski's Drogówka, but I was kind of relieved to read in the Polish films thread that you found it one his weaker efforts (and for much the same reasons that put me off), so I'm not prepared to write him off quite yet - especially as his new film looks rather interesting! Maybe that might have a better chance with distributors, as the theme (alcoholism) seems slightly more universal than the rather specific historical and political subjects of his previous films. Have you managed to see it yet?

I watched the first half hour, very late at night, and decided it was probably best viewed when I was less tired! And then it was confirmed as a Gdynia competition entry, so I thought I might as well wait to see it on the big screen next month.

+1 Yeelen. One of my favorite African films, along with the equally impressive Yaaba.

I've just spotted this. Yeelen was released by Artificial Eye in UK cinemas in 1988. As I remember, they advertised it as The Light, and it had had a London Film Festival showing under the title Brightness. AE didn't release the film on VHS, let alone DVD, and I've no idea if they still have the rights. It would have BBFC issues though - it was cut for the cinema by 1:16, for reasons of animal cruelty, a chicken being sacrificed by being burned alive. If I remember rightly, the one TV showing on the BBC cut this too.

Some 25 years later, now can't remember why Yeelen was not released on VHS. Must have been some contractual quirk as opposed to the unfortunate chicken. But in those unenlightened days African cinema (or at least Francophone African cinema) never sold on video - the bottom of the AE VHS titles was always occupied by Tilai. There was a French box set of 4 Cisse films on DVD- no English subtitles. Now OOP though, but luckily we got one from his niece.

I wonder if SR have any plans for or interest in Turkish cinema (I don't think there's any in the collection yet)? Some choice Güney or Erksan would be a nice fit - or more recently, the films of Zeki Demirkubuz...

Güney, of course, but can't believe that you've mentioned Zeki Demirkubuz, repeat! We're trying... and will let you know if it transpires.

And our thanks to you all for your recent suggestions. We know and love many of the films you've mentioned, and wish we could release five times more than we do. It's great that you continue to support and communicate with us.

Bikey, that is exciting news indeed! I owe my familiarity with Demirkubuz entirely to MUBI, which at least in Europe has a wonderful selection of Turkish films both old and new (probably having something to do with the founder being Turkish-born). Coming to his films for the first time, I was expecting/fearing hardcore miserabilist neorealism - which of course it is a way, but the filmmaking is so original and inventive, and works on so many levels; definitely a major underrated talent... It's baffling that his films haven't been released in the English-language world yet, but good to hear that Second Run is on the case!

There's an excellent little English-language book on his work, entitled Mental Minefields: the Dark Tales of Zeki Demirkubuz, with an annotated filmography, some essays (including a reprint of Olaf Möller's Film Comment piece on him), and an interview: it's available as free PDF download from the publisher's website).